Twins bullpen enters 2026 offseason with mixed results

General manager Jeremy Zoll said the Minnesota Twins must explore every avenue to strengthen their bullpen entering the 2026 offseason. Zoll noted that while the team produced success stories by building the group during the season, the unit still suffered from inconsistency. He stated that the best moments were too short and the team fell short in constructing the bullpen fully on the fly.

The Twins enter the winter with a more stable foundation than last year. Last offseason, the front office traded away its top five relievers and signed veteran left-hander Taylor Rogers to a one-year, $2 million deal. That group ranked among the worst in the majors early in the previous season. This year, the bullpen improved steadily around Rogers, the only reliever to remain on the active roster the entire time.

Yoendrys Gomez leads the team with 21 saves after joining from Tampa Bay in a cash consideration trade. Andrew Morris emerged as a dependable option after starting the year as starting pitching depth in Triple-A. Both players are expected to return. Jeff Hoffman, a midseason trade acquisition, underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery on Tuesday but remains a strong back-end candidate. Tommy Nance, another midseason arrival, is arbitration-eligible.

Several players face health or roster uncertainties. Cole Sands missed most of the season with an elbow injury and pitched in only one game after April. Anthony Banda had latissimus dorsi surgery and is not expected to be ready until midseason. Left-hander Kody Funderburk is out of minor league options and should remain in the mix. Rookie Kendry Rojas showed potential, though the team has not yet moved him to the bullpen full-time.

With A.J. Minter entering free agency, the Twins need to fill the top left-handed role. The team has a surplus of able starters and may have financial flexibility to spend on relief pitching. General manager Zoll said there are good foundational elements to build upon. The Twins have historically relied on converted starters and inexpensive one-year additions rather than multi-year deals for top free agents.

Other players in the mix include Travis Adams, who had a strong finish to his season, and David Festa, a starter who spent the 2026 season injured. The organization must decide on Sands and Banda while evaluating arbitration cases for Nance and Banda. The team aims to add a dependable high-leverage option to pair with Hoffman.

The Twins will determine their strategy during the upcoming offseason. Zoll indicated the front office is keeping options open to address the bullpen's needs. The team has a more solid base from which to build compared to the previous winter.